diff --git a/libavformat/avformat.h b/libavformat/avformat.h
index 040e35eb92..1c1aad652f 100644
--- a/libavformat/avformat.h
+++ b/libavformat/avformat.h
@@ -1635,10 +1635,9 @@ void av_dump_format(AVFormatContext *ic,
                     const char *url,
                     int is_output);
 
-/**
- * Get the current time in microseconds.
- */
+#if FF_API_AV_GETTIME
 int64_t av_gettime(void);
+#endif
 
 /**
  * Return in 'buf' the path with '%d' replaced by a number.
diff --git a/libavformat/utils.c b/libavformat/utils.c
index 5450dc4bff..156c527e25 100644
--- a/libavformat/utils.c
+++ b/libavformat/utils.c
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@
 #include "riff.h"
 #include "audiointerleave.h"
 #include "url.h"
-#include <sys/time.h>
-#include <time.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #if CONFIG_NETWORK
 #include "network.h"
@@ -3411,12 +3409,12 @@ void av_dump_format(AVFormatContext *ic,
     av_free(printed);
 }
 
-int64_t av_gettime(void)
+#if FF_API_AV_GETTIME && CONFIG_SHARED && HAVE_SYMVER
+FF_SYMVER(int64_t, av_gettime, (void), "LIBAVFORMAT_54")
 {
-    struct timeval tv;
-    gettimeofday(&tv,NULL);
-    return (int64_t)tv.tv_sec * 1000000 + tv.tv_usec;
+    return av_gettime();
 }
+#endif
 
 uint64_t ff_ntp_time(void)
 {
diff --git a/libavformat/version.h b/libavformat/version.h
index 2216e4eabd..29e520534c 100644
--- a/libavformat/version.h
+++ b/libavformat/version.h
@@ -59,5 +59,8 @@
 #ifndef FF_API_INTERLEAVE_PACKET
 #define FF_API_INTERLEAVE_PACKET       (LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_MAJOR < 55)
 #endif
+#ifndef FF_API_AV_GETTIME
+#define FF_API_AV_GETTIME              (LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_MAJOR < 55)
+#endif
 
 #endif /* AVFORMAT_VERSION_H */
diff --git a/libavutil/Makefile b/libavutil/Makefile
index 56ccd04dff..6fe174bb62 100644
--- a/libavutil/Makefile
+++ b/libavutil/Makefile
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ HEADERS = adler32.h                                                     \
           rational.h                                                    \
           samplefmt.h                                                   \
           sha.h                                                         \
+          time.h                                                        \
 
 ARCH_HEADERS = bswap.h                                                  \
                intmath.h                                                \
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ OBJS = adler32.o                                                        \
        rc4.o                                                            \
        samplefmt.o                                                      \
        sha.o                                                            \
+       time.o                                                           \
        tree.o                                                           \
        utils.o                                                          \
 
diff --git a/libavutil/time.c b/libavutil/time.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a0b713e803
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libavutil/time.c
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of Libav.
+ *
+ * Libav is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Libav is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with Libav; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
+
+#include "libavutil/time.h"
+
+int64_t av_gettime(void)
+{
+    struct timeval tv;
+    gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
+    return (int64_t)tv.tv_sec * 1000000 + tv.tv_usec;
+}
diff --git a/libavutil/time.h b/libavutil/time.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2ee7e08caf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libavutil/time.h
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of Libav.
+ *
+ * Libav is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Libav is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with Libav; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef AVUTIL_TIME_H
+#define AVUTIL_TIME_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+/**
+ * Get the current time in microseconds.
+ */
+int64_t av_gettime(void);
+
+#endif /* AVUTIL_TIME_H */